


Kneed You Now

by Turtles



Category: One Direction
Genre: M/M, Touring
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-03-13
Updated: 2013-03-13
Packaged: 2017-12-05 03:51:03
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,548
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/718568
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Turtles/pseuds/Turtles
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Louis hurts his knee. This is around the time he notices that his and Harry's connection is via knee.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Kneed You Now

**Author's Note:**

> blame goes out to a lot of people on twitter, but especially Dee because she loves knees

When Louis hurts his knee trying to lift Liam he doesn't think much of it. The band makes a couple of lyric changes that the crowd eats up, and he gets Niall to share his knee braces as soon as he gets back on the bus.

He gets a couple of piggy back rides from the other boys out of it and aside from not being able to walk properly there really isn't much of a downfall to it.

The next morning Louis perches up on the bus' kitchen counter and waits for Harry to sit next to him, knees sliding together before he begs Harry to make a cuppa.

Except he sits there for twenty minutes, frowning at the tile before Niall walks in, still sleep rumpled. Louis splays fingers around his bad knee and asks Niall, "Where's Harry?"

Niall does a quick look to Louis' immediate left where there's empty counter space, then shrugs, "I guess he's still asleep."

Louis makes his own tea that morning. He doesn't think much of it, and later when Harry walks into the kitchen, there's a tea for him there as well. "Thanks, Lou," he says and sits on the couch by him. He's careful not to jostle his knee though, and everything feels a little off.

Paul hands him crutches as he walks off the bus, and Louis rolls his eyes, but he wants to be able to properly walk at tonights show. So, he takes them and hobbles off into the parking lot behind the tourbus. There's not really much to do before the show, but he needs air. 

He starts to realise that maybe something is wrong at tonight's show. He's laughing at some joke during the twitter questions and turns to laugh with Harry, when he realises Harry is on the other side of the stage. It startles Louis. He doesn't think he's ever tried to find Harry in the wrong direction. He just has a knack for it. A bit like the compass etched to his skin, except his north (his home) is Harry. Harry turns to him a second later, and that rattles him as well. The magnet in Harry's compass isn't broken. Harry raises a questioning brow, but Louis shakes his head minutely, and they're off to the next question.

It bothers him for days. He's slightly off his rhythm, and he's slightly off his rhythm with Harry. It's making him snappish, irritated that he might have lost something important to him just because he decided to pick up bloody Liam. He's pretty sure he's been glaring at him for the past three days, gesturing to his knee and then slashing across his throat menacingly. If Liam broke his magnet there will be hell to pay.

It's midday and they're resting before the show. Louis has flung himself across the large bed that they have in the middle of the tourbus. He's contemplating simply smothering himself with the pillow over his face. What is he without his knees? Nothing, apparently. He hears someone pick up the controller and FIFA comes on the TV. 

He takes the pillow off his face, because maybe a quick game of FIFA with the boys will cheer him up. He groans when he sees it's Harry. How did he not know? He feels like at this point he can practically tell Harry's breathing apart. Harry scoots close against Louis, again being careful not to jostle his knee. Louis pouts into the bed. 

Harry's been a lot of things with him, and careful has to be his least favorite one.

"You want to play?" Harry asks, half reaching for the controller. But Louis just shakes his head and carefully rolls over until his face is mashed into Harry's hip. He stretches his arm across him until his hand is resting on Harry's kneecap. He traces it with careful fingers, feeling it underneath his hand. He falls asleep like that, listening to Harry play and idly stroking Harry's knee. Wondering if Harry's magnet is still pulling him to Louis, even though Louis' is broken.

The answer comes that night when Louis is sleeping, and he feels a body crawl into his bunk. Harry is so big these days. All muscle along his broad back, all lanky height when he grins down at Louis. It takes a bit of arranging, but Louis is never one to turn down a bit of a cuddle from Harry.

He's about ready to go back to sleep when he hears Harry say, "What's wrong?"

Now Louis feels really silly. He can't exactly say, I think I broke the magnet in my compass that leads to you. Not only is it possibly ridiculous, but it might upset Harry. He makes a displeased noise and turns into Harry's chest. Hand going down to find Harry's knees and comfort himself a little. At least Harry's magnet isn't broken.

"This is about your knee then?" Harry asks, and Louis laughs a little in the dark. Harry's always been stupidly perceptive.

"A bit yeah." Louis shrugs out. 

Harry pets at Louis' hair. "You don't have to worry about being old. Just because my knee works doesn't mean you're any less spry." 

Louis pinches his side sharply, and all Harry does is squirm underneath him and laugh, "Not all of us can be cherub faced toddlers, Styles. Some of us have to be rugged. And manly."

Harry smiles down to where Louis is still draped across him, passes quick fingers across Louis' mouth that make his breath hitch in his chest. "Yeah, rugged and manly and pretty."

Louis rolls his eyes but doesn't deny it. He is quite pretty, after all. He thinks that they can forget about this and fall asleep, but Harry nudges him in the side again, "What is it?"

Louis sighs and rolls onto his back. If he's going to say this he's not going to be on Harry to do it. He covers his face with his hand and says through them, "I think we have a connection via knees and I think I broke mine when I hurt my knee."

Harry lets out a barked laugh before slapping his hand over his mouth, wary of everyone else sleeping on the bus. He looks like he's waiting for Louis to say what is actually bothering him, until he sees that Louis once again is trying to smother himself. 

Harry softens, and takes the pillow out of Louis' grasp. Revealing a pouty, sad eyed Louis underneath. "Lou. Look at me, Louis."

Louis refuses and Harry sighs, crawling down the bunk until he's face to face with Louis' knees. He touches it carefully, resting his head on Louis' opposite thigh. Louis sighs and digs his fingers into Harry's hair. Wrapping curls around his finger as Harry pets his knee with soft strokes.

"Did you know I'm actually a magical bond doctor, Lou?" Harry says from around Louis' waist. And Louis cannot believe the cheek of this lad.

"I know it's stupid, you don't have to take the mickey." 

"No, it's true I'm certified. Do you want to know what my diagnosis is?" Harry says, and Louis can practically feel his smile. He tugs a little at his hair and grunts at him to continue.

"There's no bond here." And ouch. That Louis wasn't expecting. Louis has always been the big believer in fate between the two of them, but he thought that. Well, he thought Harry felt that little soul connection between them.

"Well, if there's no bond then shove off then, and go cuddle with Zayn."

Harry laughs again, and presses a quiet kiss to Louis' knee before coming up to straddle him. He feels warm and heavy on Louis, but he refuses to look at him. Fine, he thinks, no magical knee connection it is. 

"Lou, don't be dumb. Our knees aren't connected, there's no patella bond. The only way you and I are tied together is here." And Louis still isn't looking at him, so he startles when he feels Harry poke a finger right at the middle of his chest. Where his heart beats a little faster.

Harry is smiling down at him, and pressing his whole palm to his heart. His hands big on his chest. And all Louis can do is smile up at Harry, until Harry bends down to press a kiss to his mouth. And then all Louis can do is smile into Harry. 

Harry kisses him soft and sweet, fingers pressing along his jawline. Treating all of Louis' bones like they're delicate. When they break off Harry is smiling, his lips red even in the darkness of the bunk. "Oh," Louis says, fingers pressed to Harry's heart.

"So, let me know when you have a heart attack and then we'll talk." Louis shoves at Harry then and Harry rocks back, giggling until Niall says from the bunk above, "If you pricks don't shut up and stop giggling I'm gonna break Tommo's other knee."

This of course sends them into another fit of laughter, but eventually they quiet down. Harry curling around Louis, careful again with him. Louis tucking his head into Harry's neck. The last thing Louis hears before he drifts off is the steady pulse of Harry's heart.

**Author's Note:**

> Outtake:
> 
> Later in the night Harry hears Louis whisper, "If I break your knees we'll be even. And you can't run away."
> 
> "Louis that's really creepy."
> 
> "I know."


End file.
